Gospel Spice | Awaken Delight in God through faith in Jesus Christ

For Father's Day, Stephanie welcomes NFL chaplain and Pastor Jonathan Evans for a no-nonsense conversation about our investment as parents for the Kingdom of God. With his trademark candid and bold kindness, Jonathan shares his approach to parenting, as well as what he learned from his parents, Lois and Dr Tony Evans. We discuss fatherhood in particular, but these principles apply to all forms of...

Episode 151 - Jesus' humility is the roadmap to glory. Stephanie humbly invites us to dive into the meaning and expression of humility in Jesus's life. It started even before His incarnation - when He left the beauty and perfection of heaven to come dwell on planet earth, with a human body, and for the express intent to die a horrific death, not only physically but mostly a spiritual death of sepa...

Episode 150 - Why does it matter to delight in God? Why does God command us to delight in Him and enjoy Him forever? Doesn't that sound like the whinings of an egotistic tyrant, an insecure bully in search of affirmation, or a boastful narcissist? Stephanie invites us to discover the deeper meaning of delighting in God, and why it actually is the most logical, reasonable, and yes, delightful thing...

Episode 149 – Curt Thompson joins Stephanie to share in the experience of delighting in the glory of God through our eponymous series. They discuss the role of beauty in our identity—its creation and our awareness of it. They discuss the importance of crushing in our lives—how beauty often needs to be pulverized in order to attain its purpose, and how spice often delivers its best flavors and frag...

Episode 148 - We are so excited to welcome you to our new series, God's Glory, Our Delight. Now, this sentence. It means a lot, and especially to Stephanie because it has been her own personal motto and spiritual quest for years. So, really, this is an invitation to ponder the deeper life. We are convinced that there is no greater quest in life, and that no adventure can give you deeper meaning. W...

Episode 147 - Are you concerned your children might be addicted to digital media? How can you know proper boundaries, and how can you weather a total digital detox without losing your mind in the process? How can you restore your children to the fullness of childhood--games and puzzles and twigs and fireflies and hide-and-seek--without losing sanity in the process? Molly DeFrank joins Stephanie fo...

Episode 146 - We are so excited to welcome you to our new series, God's Glory, Our Delight. Taking delight in God: Nothing could be more important, and nothing could be more practical today. Can we be totally honest here? This is Stephanie's favorite series to date, because it is her own personal life motto! We kick off the series with an episode that transitions us from Easter into this new seaso...

Stephanie welcomes fellow Francophile David Broussard, founder and president of Impact France, for an update on what God is up to in France today. David has an unusual story of coming to faith from agnosticism while studying in France! Yes! It is one of the many parallels between his and Stephanie's story of faith--in uncanny reverse!  Today we talk about the importance of the truth that Jesus is...

Os Guinness is back for this special Easter 2022 episode on the meaning of life. We discuss our role in seeking God, and His role in finding us! Os says, " Without God, we cannot know God; and we know God only when we meet Him ." This Easter, we invite you to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season, and to ask yourself if you are living the fullness of the life God has for you. We al...

Episode 143 – Jasmine Holmes joins us for an inspiring conversation about 10 seemingly unknown Black women who changed their communities when they were alive in the 18th and 19th centuries, and whose legacy can still be felt today. Regardless of our gender, our color, our age, our culture or even where we live in the world, we can all learn much from each of these 10 heroes. Jasmine says: “ Black...

Episode 142 - God hinted at the great reversal He would usher in to destroy the effects of the introduction of the experiential knowledge of evil into our adama lives in Genesis 3:15. And, gloriously, He chooses to use us as vessels of His redemption efforts, just as we were the vectors that brought the curse. Freewill is a reality—the only possible birthplace of true love. The fact that He would...

Episode 141 - Stephanie is joined by 3 friends to explore a cross-cultural conversation around racial dialogue. Around a cup of virtual coffee, Angel, Beth and Lindsay answer some key questions and invite YOU to step up to initiate your own conversations towards racial reconciliation: - What has been your personal experience, or a meaningful encounter, with the idea of racial difference? - What do...

Episode 140 - Today we get practical. Stephanie gives us 4 clear steps that we can all take, and that we can trust will make a difference. They are the four I's: - Information - Intercession - Involvement - Influence. This is not just a cute mnemonic decvice; it is deeply rooted in Scripture and practical application. How can you keep on being INFORMED? How can you then move to heartfelt INTERCESS...

Episode 139 - Christians are awakening to the legacy of racism in America like never before. While public conversations regarding the realities of racial division and inequalities have surged in recent years, so has the public outcry to work toward the long-awaited healing of these wounds. But American Christianity, with its tendency to view the ministry of reconciliation as its sole response to r...

Episode 138 - in Shades of Red, our series on the consequences of sin on human relationships, Stephanie now takes a moment to ponder Paul's words to his dear friend Philemon. In this short letter, tucked towards the end of your Bible, many have found discomfort and controversy because Paul does not seem to openly reject the then-common institution of slavery. Does it mean that Paul condoned slaver...

Episode 137 - Stephanie invites us to ponder the upside-down Kingdom of God that Jesus heralded. We talk about hell, about the enemy opf our soul and his strategies to take us down with him. We mostly focus on the supremacy of our Lord, King and Savior. No wonder Jesus talks about heaven and hell more than anyone else in Scripture. He is cupping our face in His hands and gently redirecting our gaz...

Episode 136 - Pastor Jamal Johnson of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago joins Stephanie for a candid, heartfelt conversation about building a legacy under the great I AM. They discuss the current issues facing the American church in terms of conflict, division, and all things that work against the unity of the Body of Christ. So, when Pastor Jamal interprets Psalm 88 in light of the Negro Spir...

Episode 135 - What does it mean to be "Shades of Red" as fallen humans? What are the consequences of the curse of sin in human relationships? Stephanie invites us to ponder the consequences of what we discovered about the law of spiritual gravity in Episode 134. Make sure to have listened to it before you tune in for today! We saw that the adama-red of the adama-ground is for the first time an ech...

Episode 134 - Stephanie invites us to ponder what she calls "the spiritual law of gravity. It is quite simple, really. We all know not to break the physical law of gravity. It has its commandments. A smattering: -          Do not jump off a high building. -          Do not go into the deep if you don’t know how to swim. -          Do not drop heavy rocks on your head. Laws of gravity. We know any...

Episode 133 - Stephanie welcomes Pastor and poet Drew Jackson who invites us to experience the gospel of Luke through his own culture today. He weaves his own growing-up years with Luke's words about the birth of Jesus, and his own ministry and outreach to the marginalized, with Jesus' calling to bring freedom to the captives and restoration to the wounded.  His debut poetry collection, God Speaks...

Episode 132 - Love is a choice. What does it mean? Was it God's choice? Is it still His choice for us? was it ours? Do we get to choose to love God? What does it look like? God created us with a brain and a thirst for knowledge and understanding, and He invites us to use it. Our Christian theology must shape and inform our understanding of oppression and our role in fighting it. Why would we allow...

Episode 131 - Stephanie welcomes you in our brand new series, Shades of Red. What does it mean to be human? We go back to the garden of Eden to uncover God's purpose in creating Adam and Eve, and you and me.  Unity is the overarching theme that permeates the creation of humanity. Slave or free, Jew or Gentile—regardless of these, God tells us that between man and woman, unity prevails. The unpacki...

Episode 130 – Get ready for a vulnerable, powerful conversation today with Raleigh Sadler, author, activist and global influencer against human trafficking. Raleigh shares his personal journey away from the comforts of an expected faith, and into the unexpected world of serving “the least of these” in the Name of Jesus. He tells Stephanie about facing his fears and how daring to be vulnerable with...

Episode 129 – Stephanie welcomes Chicago-based friend and TV show host Whitney Reynolds for a fun, deep, and whimsical conversation to enter 2022. She tells us about her relationship with God, personally and at work, in her family, marriage and kids and through her friends. Her enthusiasm to encourage is deeply inspiring and endearing… and she is such fun to be with! Whitney says she used to be a...

Episode 127 – This conversation is an invitation to cozy up by the fireplace, with a hot cup of your favorite spiced tea and intrumental music in the background. We hope you will enjoy it as 2021 gently comes to an end. Stephanie welcomes Christie Purifoy today. Christie describes herself as a gardener, writer and placemaker. She and Stephanie may only have met a few week ago, but it already feels...